“Police were there but just watching the burning”

….The number of accusations is rising….In 2001, there was only one such complaint, but in
2011 there were 80…..2014 looks
set to be a record…..In May 2014, 68 lawyers were charged with
blasphemy for using the name ‘Umar’ in protest slogans against a police
official of the same name.…In the same month, prominent human
rights lawyer Rashid Rehman defending a Pakistani university professor
accused of blasphemy was shot and killed after being threatened in court by other lawyers….
…………………… It does not matter if it is India or Pakistan or Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh, or….The news of late is remarkably monotonous and grim.

We remember the case of Rodney King from our time. He was viciously beaten up by LAPD officers, and the officers were initially let go by a white jury. The acquittals are considered to have triggered the Los Angeles riots of 1992 which were responsible for 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more
than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in
financial losses [ref. Wiki]. During the riots, King appeared on television and offered what would later be his famous plea, “Can we all get along?”

In South Asia there is not much point in asking can we all get along. The least the powers that be can do is to protect minorities by building more secure ghettos (aka open air prisons). Electrified fence, dobermans, paramilitary, whatever it takes. But please ensure safety (and a bit of prosperity). Is that too much to ask for?………..Three female members of the Ahmadi community, including two
minors, were killed late Sunday and eight others were severely injuredwhen an angry mob attacked and burnt five houses, a storage building and
several vehicles over alleged blasphemy.Those killed in the attack include a 55-year-old woman Bashiran, a minor girl Kainat and 7-year-old girl Hira.The victims were rushed to the district headquarters hospital and the condition of few wounded was reported as critical.

Deputy
Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the People’s Colony Circle as saying
that the trouble started with an allegedly blasphemous post on Facebook
by an Ahmadi youth.

The son of a Imam of a local mosque along with
his friends reached the house of the youth where they entered into a
scuffle and were allegedly fired upon.

The Imam’s son and his
friend sustained gunshot wounds following which a mob gathered and began
protesting which eventually attacked and damaged homes and other
property belonging to members of the Ahmadi community.

Gujranwala
CPO Waqas Nazir, Civil Lines SP Zeeshan Siddiqi and DSP of CIA Rashid
Sindhu reached the spot and began negotiations with members of both
communities to bring the situation under control.

“Later, a crowd
of 150 people came to the police station demanding the registration of a
blasphemy case against the accused,” said another police officer who
declined to be identified. “As police were negotiating with the crowd,
another mob attacked and started burning the houses of Ahmadis.”

The youth accused of making the Facebook post had not been injured, he said.

Civil
Lines SP Zeeshan Siddiqi said the victims died of suffocation and that a
woman miscarried during the riots and was being provided medical
treatment.

Salimuddin, a spokesman for the Ahmadi community, said
it was the worst attack on the community since simultaneous attacks on
Ahmadi places of worship killed 86 Ahmadis four years ago.

“Police
were there but just watching the burning. They didn’t do anything to
stop the mob,” he said. “First they looted their homes and shops and
then they burnt the homes.”

According to police and eyewitnesses,
there were seven to eight houses of the Ahmadi community in the
vicinity. However, following the violence all Ahmadi families in the
area managed to flee.

Fearing further incidents of violence and
arson Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) suspended the supply of
electricity in the area.

Ahmadis have been arrested in Pakistan
for reading the Holy Quran, holding religious celebrations and having
Quranic verses on rings or wedding cards. Four years ago, 86 Ahmadis
were killed in two simultaneous attacks in Lahore.

Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law does not clearly define
blasphemy but says the offence is punishable by death. Anyone can file a
blasphemy case claiming their religious feelings are injured for any
reason.

The accused are often lynched, and lawyers and judges
defending or acquitting them have been attacked. Rights groups say the
laws are increasingly used to seize money or property.

Two
politicians who suggested reforming the law were killed, one by his own
bodyguard. Lawyers showered the killer with rose petals when he came to
court.

The number of accusations is rising, according to a 2012
study by the Islamabad-based think tank, the Center for Research and
Security Studies. In 2001, there was only one such complaint, but in
2011 there were 80. No more recent figures are available but 2014 looks
set to be a record.

In May 2014, 68 lawyers were charged with
blasphemy for using the name ‘Umar’ in protest slogans against a police
official of the same name.

In the same month, prominent human
rights lawyer Rashid Rehman defending a Pakistani university professor
accused of blasphemy was shot and killed after being threatened in court by other lawyers.
……..